I need to get Windows Movie Maker on my new, super fast, machine to import the same files it did(and does) on my old (yet still working) machine. Codec problem?

I had been doing video editing on my laptop (Vista 32, 3GB RAM 2.0GHz) for a while and its worked fine. But since I moved to an HD video camera, the files got much bigger and the editing process got much slower.

I installed all the same players (including Media Player Classic, WMP of the same version)

I installed all the same editing suites (same version of WMM and Pinnacle Studio HD)

And all the same drivers that came with my camera.

The unedited raw videos play just fine on both machines, however no editing software on the new machine will recognize the unedited HD video files from the camera (MPGs). I can only edit them on he old machine. The WMM and Pinnacle on the new machine dont "recognize the format"

I think it sounds like a codec problem. If it is, how do i copy all of them from my old machine to the new one.

Related: Is there a way to look at a video file and tell which codec it needs? and just bring that one over?

This is also happening in Pinnacle Studio HD (works on old machine, not on new machine) So please refrain from the "abandon WMM" answers :-)

Do they play just fine both in Media Player Classic and WMP, or just in Media Player Classic? I ask this because I know that MPC has a bunch of codecs inbuilt that it doesn't share with anything else.

WMP doesn't have its own codecs built in. So if the files already play properly in WMP, then you already have the right codecs installed and the problem will be persuading your editing software to find and use them.

If not, the fact that they play OK in MPC doesn't mean much, and I suspect that you will need a DirectShow codec (as used by WMP, and system-wide) that suits the files from your new camera.posted by flabdablet at 3:08 PM on December 30, 2009

It could very well be a codec problem. At my job I don't edit videos but I sometimes have to figure out mystery codec issues for people. There's a free program I find immensely useful called GSpot Codec Information Appliance. After installation, you just run the program and open a file, and it'll tell you what codec it's using. It occasionally won't be able to tell you, but I've had it save my butt several times with obscure security camera codecs. Give it a shot.posted by BeerFilter at 3:13 PM on December 30, 2009

@flabdablet - The do play fine in WMP on both machines.posted by sandra_s at 3:29 PM on December 30, 2009

Cosmac got it!! I installed both and its working perfectly! :-*posted by sandra_s at 3:51 PM on December 30, 2009

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